


Desperate times...

by Lakritzwolf



Series: Scales [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Lorenzo is a good warlock boyfriend, M/M, Patrick is a little rascal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 05:38:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18888253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lakritzwolf/pseuds/Lakritzwolf
Summary: ...require desperate measures.Patrick is gone, and Lorenzo won't let anything keep him from getting his Shadowhunter's little friend back home.





	Desperate times...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lynne_monstr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynne_monstr/gifts).



> I made a picture (a crappy photo manip but I had fun) of [Lorenzo and Patrick](https://66.media.tumblr.com/7e1cf89e86e60e6df097830f2e3f7fde/tumblr_inline_prrwgu6sXS1t7ubqo_500.png)
> 
> * * *

If asked, Lorenzo Rey would vehemently deny having any soft spots for pets, and especially no sentimental feelings for a common reptile. He loathed reptiles.

However.

Not so long ago he would also have vehemently denied being able to be attracted to a Shadowhunter. And he would have laughed at anyone daring to insinuate he could be emotionally attached to one.

Until fate had shoved Andrew Underhill into his life.

And the fact that this Shadowhunter had a pet gecko he absolutely loved with all his heart was just another of all those oddities that had been swept into his life after becoming involved with the New York Institute.

Fate was like that sometimes.

And now, he discovered, focussing on the High Warlock of Washington blather on -about anomalies in the sub-marine leylines off the coast of New Jersey or some such nonsense- was a rather strenuous undertaking. Because only this morning, only a few hours ago, he had kissed his Shadowhunter goodbye before portalling to Washington for a meeting of the east coast warlocks, the image of Andrew with his tousled hair and sleepy smile firmly lodged into his mind. And wasn’t he a _sight_ , sprawled out on Lorenzo’s rich burgundy satin sheets and-

“Rey, are you listening?!”

Lorenzo forced himself to focus on the High Warlock of Philadelphia who had so rudely torn him out of daydreaming about a blonde Shadowhunter with the most adorable bed-head this side of the Atlantic.

“Of course.” He straightened up. “I was going through my memories trying to find something similar happening before, but if it has, then I haven’t heard of it.”

Patterson harrumphed, but continued his monologue about the leyline crossings, and since there was nothing new coming up, nothing Lorenzo hadn’t already heard about or read about a hundred times already, his mind was drifting again.

This was going to be a very, very long day.

* * *

Since the former Head of the Institute had not only been in a relationship with someone from outside the Institute but a Downworlder, a warlock even (the High Warlock of Brooklyn no less, as if history had to make a point of repeating itself), no one gave Andrew a second look when he entered the Institute through the main door to start his shift, instead of coming up from the personal quarters.

And after checking in and going over the monitors and night patrol debriefings, he made his way to his office to read through the reports, work through the incidents list, and try to get through the day without mentioning the High Warlock of Brooklyn too much. Even for the Head of Security, there was only a certain amount of time he could be talking about wards.

Not that everyone knew already how gone he was.

After sorting out his desk he had two things on the list he needed to check off before diving into his daily duties: coffee, and Patrick.

Having equipped himself with the former he swung by his room to check on his scaly little friend. Not because he didn’t trust Isabelle with temporarily taking care of him, or feeding him when he wasn’t on the premises, on patrol or elsewhere, but because Patrick was his friend and his companion and his confidant. Patrick knew things about Andrew Underhill not even Lorenzo knew.

Yet.

The thought that he might have someone he would be able to confide in like that made Andrew’s heart stutter as he opened the door to his room.

And it almost stopped when he saw the terrarium. The cup fell out of his hand, the coffee seeping into the carpet, completely disregarded and forgotten as Andrew raced across the room.

The lid of the terrarium wasn’t properly closed. And Patrick was nowhere to be seen.

“Patrick?”

_No need to panic. No need to panic. He’s just a tiny gecko, he can’t have gotten far._

But then, just because he was so tiny he might have gotten exceptionally far, as he might have been able to slip outside through the gap under the door.

Andrew crawled around in his room on his knees for more than twenty minutes, but there was no sign of his friend, not a single scale was anywhere to be found. So he really had made it out of the room, and now he was out there in the New York Institute, a gecko of five inches, and how on earth was he supposed to get him back?

“Hey, Underhill?”

Andrew spun around, to find Longfeather look at him, peeking around the doorframe. “Isabelle had to be out on emergency backup last night and told me to feed the lizard. Everything okay?”

Andrew had to take a deep, deep breath to calm himself, and yet his voice remained the tiniest bit unsteady when he spoke. “No, not really.” He took another breath. “The terrarium wasn’t properly closed and now he’s gone.”

Longfeather’s face fell and he cleared his throat. “Oh... shit. I’m sorry. I’ll help you look, okay? But I need to hand in those reports first.”

When Isabelle found out what happened she was inconsolable that she hadn’t done the feeding herself, and she and Andrew combed through the Institute for hours, yet with the size of the building, they both knew it was a hopeless undertaking. Patrick could be anywhere, hiding in any nook or cranny or gap.

Or he might fall through a vent, or through a gap in the window into the cold November air to freeze to death, or starve to death somewhere because the Institute was insect-free, or he might even get accidentally crushed in a doorframe.

Either way, Andrew knew he would never see his scaly little friend again. And while he was sitting in his office now, he was hardly able to focus on work. Patrick was gone. His best friend through darkest hours during the last two years was gone.

* * *

Bored out of his skull Lorenzo toyed with his phone, and after having inconspicuously doodled and immediately magically erased silly little lizards he sent Andrew a text.

_12:23 Being High Warlock is really overrated sometimes. I don’t think I have ever been this bored._

Usually, Andrew was quick to answer, but he was probably in a meeting with the Head, or something.

_12:42 I swear if I have to hear the words submarine leyline one more time my head will explode._

Still no reply. Why was he so busy today of all days when Lorenzo could really, really use some distraction? There wasn’t even the notification that his message had been seen.

_13:10 Querido are you okay?_

And then, finally, his phone vibrated.

_[Andrew] 13:23 Patrick is gone_

Lorenzo’s eyes widened.

_13:23 Gone?_

_[Andrew] 13:26 The guy who was supposed to feed him alst night left the terrarium open and now hes gone._

Taking a deep breath, Lorenzo let his fingers hover over the screen for a moment before taping in a reply.

_13:29 Stay calm. He can’t have gotten far, can he?_

_[Andrew] 13:31 Hes small enough to slip out under the door hes not in my room he could ber anyuwhere_

_[Andrew] 13:31 I looked everywhere but i cant idnd him lorenzo what am i going to do ifg hes gone_

Lorenzo took another deep breath. He had never seen Andrew text like this. Usually he even took the time to correct the previous message when he found a typo. He had to be beside himself.

“Excuse me.” Lorenzo slammed his notebook shut. “I am terribly sorry but there is an emergency in Brooklyn I have to take care of. Please keep me informed.”

He didn’t give the other warlock a chance to protest before he opened a portal, but he didn’t even feel relief as he stepped through and into the New York Institute, too worried about both his Shadowhunter and his Shadowhunter’s adorable gecko.

He strode down the corridor and towards Andrew’s office, and found him slumped over his desk surrounded by paperwork.

“Andrew?” He knocked softly against the doorframe. “ _Querido_?”

Andrew jerked upright, his face white and his eyes red and swollen. “Lorenzo?” he asked, looking at him in total confusion. “I thought you’re in Washington?”

“I’m here now,” Lorenzo said and stepped around the desk. He placed both hands firmly on Andrew’s shoulders.

“But I thought...”

“Whatever it is they are dealing with, they can deal with that on their own for now, because I have something more important to do.”

“And that is?” Andrew dug the hand of his heel in one eye, then the other.

“Being with you, of course.” He pulled Andrew close, and the Shadowhunter let himself fall against Lorenzo’s chest. “We will find him.”

“But how?” Andrew’s voice was hardly audible. “You can’t track him, can you?”

Lorenzo took another deep breath and shook his head, hating how he had to dash the glimmer of hope in Andrew’s eyes. He squeezed Andrew’s shoulders again before he let go.

Then he stepped into the hallway again and had a look around. Yes, the possibilities and hiding places were endless, for a five inch gecko at least. But since tracking wasn’t an option, he needed to think of something else. And...

“I have an idea,” Lorenzo said to Andrew as the latter was about to leave his chair. “Stay here in case someone finds him.” Andrew nodded and remained seated, and grabbed one of the tablets on his desk.

In the hallway, Lorenzo had another look around. “Well... desperate times,” he said firmly and reached around his head, “require desperate measures.” He pulled the hair elastic out of his ponytail, and deliberately mussed his hair up a little with his fingers.

And then he walked down the hallway towards Andrew’s personal quarters with slow, measured steps, careful not to tread too loudly because Patrick didn’t like heavy footfalls.

He walked like that for no more than five minutes when he suddenly felt something soft and small land on his head, and he couldn’t suppress a ridiculously triumphant smile.

“There you are, you little rascal,” he muttered, and quickly made his way back to Andrew’s office.

He was still staring at the same tablet, and Lorenzo was sure he hadn’t read a single word yet. He looked up when Lorenzo entered, and his anguished expression turned into one of utter confusion when he noticed the state of his hair.

And he jumped out of his chair so fast it toppled over when he saw the flash of green peek out between the black strands of hair on Lorenzo’s head.

“You found him!” And he threw himself at Lorenzo with such force that the warlock almost lost his balance.

“Of course I found him.” Lorenzo closed his arms around Andrew and rested his foreheads together. “I am Lorenzo Rey. What did you expect?”

Andrew had his arms clamped around him like a vice for another moment before he could let go, and Lorenzo felt his heart melt into a puddle at the look in Andrew’s eyes. He reached out and brushed the tear away from Andrew’s cheek with his thumb.

“What do you say we get the little _bribón_ home?”

Andrew nodded, his eyes darting to Lorenzo’s forehead again. “I just...”

“Leave him.” Lorenzo stepped back. “He’s not going anywhere as long as he’s up there.”

They encountered only one person on their way back towards Andrew’s quarters, and Isabelle knew better than to ask why the High Warlock of Brooklyn was wandering around the New York institute as if he was walking on eggshells with his hair looking like a rat’s nest.

“There we are,” Lorenzo said as they had reached Andrew’s room, and carefully levitated the little gecko out of his hair and into the terrarium. At this point, being deposited somewhere by a gently glowing magic field perturbed him as little as being put down somewhere by a hand, and he immediately bee-lined for the log under the heat lamp.

Andrew sank into Lorenzo’s arms with a deep sigh of relief, and Lorenzo closed his arms around him.

“That was quite the start to the day, hmm?” He muttered into Andrew’s hair. “How about you call it a day and we do something... relaxing... at my place, _bomboncito_?”

Behind them someone coughed with a snort, and they jumped away from each other and spun around, to see Isabelle stand there, frozen with her hand in the air as if she had just been about to knock on the door frame. She was holding her breath before letting it out in an explosive huff.

“Ex...cuse me,” she said and cleared her throat. “I got something,” she patted her chest, “stuck in... you know, I was actually... I wanted to ask if Underhill wanted an early day off after that shock.”

“That is very kind of you, Ma’am,” Andrew said a little stiffly, while Lorenzo inconspicuously tried to sort his hair a little.

“Well,” Isabelle’s smile widened, “in that case, I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early.”

And with a wink, she was gone.

Andrew buried his face in his hands with a deep, heartfelt groan.

“What?” Lorenzo asked cautiously.

“What?” Andrew looked up again. “My boss just caught me being called a little piece of candy, by the High Warlock of Brooklyn!”

Lorenzo couldn’t suppress a tiny snort, but rested one hand against Andrew’s cheek. “Not that it is her business, but you are the sweetest man I have met in a very long time.”

Andrew’s cheeks were burning but he smiled, even if that smile was the very definition of bashful. “You’re impossible.”

“That word isn’t part of my vocabulary,” Lorenzo said in mock haughtiness and snapped his fingers to open a portal. “Shall we?”

Andrew leaned closer to drop a kiss onto his lips before stepping into the portal. Then Lorenzo looked at the terrarium, pointed two fingers first at his eyes and then at the gecko, before he followed Andrew through the portal.

Patrick didn’t grace Lorenzo with a comment and continued his sun bath in peace and quiet.


End file.
